USA Orders Two Comedies to Series, Developing Eight Dramas

USA has ordered a pair of comedies to series, including one from Denis Leary, and is developing eight new dramas, the network announced Thursday.

Based on a U.K. format and written by Leary and Bob Fisher, Sirens follows three Chicago EMTs with silly, self-righteous and sometimes self-destructive personalities. Michael Mosley, Kevin Daniels, Jessica McNamee and Kevin Bigley will star.

Inspired by Jessica St. Clair and Lennon Parham's real-life friendship, Playing House will focus on mother-to-be Maggie (Parham), who asks her single and career-driven best friend, Emma (St. Clair), to return from overseas for her baby shower, unaware of what's in store. St. Clair and Parham, last seen on NBC's short-lived Best Friends Forever, will also serve as executive producers.Both Sirens and Playing House — USA's first original comedies — will premiere in early 2014. The network also ordered the comedy pilot Love Is Dead, about a company that specializes in breaking-up romantic relationships on behalf of those who are willing to pay to not be around when it happens. The project is based on an award-winning French short of the same name.In addition, the network will add Cat Greenleaf's Talk Stoop to its daytime block.

On the drama side, Horizon, a period drama set at the height of World War II from The Walking Dead's Gale Anne Hurd, will go into production this summer. The show revolves around an FBI secretary who begins a secretive investigation into files that have been stamped with the codename "horizon." The files provide links to the death of her husband and the disappearance of a young girl, and has also, unbeknownst to her, sparked the interest of undercover Nazi spies in the U.S.

USA's drama development slate includes:The Arrangement:From Numb3rs creators Cheryl Heuton andNicolas Falacci and inspired by a short story from the Elmore Leonard anthology, When the Women Come Out to Dance, the drama Thetells the story of Lourdes Nieves (Stephanie Sigman), a Colombian woman who tries to make a fresh start in Miami by entering into a marriage with politician Billy Whitley (Bryan Greenberg). Doug Liman and David Bartis will executive-produce. Amanda Schull and Manolo Cardona also star.The Edge:This thriller explores one idealistic man's journey after he leaves an NGO to join the world's top venture capital firm, where he discovers a morally bankrupt workplace that perpetuates shadowy agendas to control governments, industries and global leaders. John Legend's Get Lifted Film Co., and writers Adam Hoff and Justin Herber will executive-produce.Complications: Written and executive-produced by Burn Notice creatorMatt Nix, theproject tells the story of an ER doctor whose life changes after he is involved in a gang shooting.Bank: After an act of heroism gives her the opportunity to choose her next assignment, a young FBI agent surprises everyone by choosing the bank crimes division in Los Angeles, aka the epicenter of bank robberies in the U.S. Liman and Bartis will executive-produce, along with writers Nora Zuckerman and Lilla Zukerman.Blanco Country:Based on a series of books by Ben Rehder, the project follows John Marlin, a pro baseball player who would rather travel the world than return to his small Texas hometown on his down time. After the death of his father, Marlin returns home to find an uneasy alliance between the locals and the nouveau riche. Believing the local cops to be inept, Marlin runs for sheriff and surprisingly wins. Veronica Mars creator Rob Thomas wrote the script and will executive-produce alongside Tom Welling, Danielle Stokdyk and Dan Etheridge.

Don't Turn Around:Set on a beautiful but remote island, the limited series sees an unexpected storm tear through the island, causing several people to vanish and turn up dead. The survivors are trapped on the island and must find a way to survive. J.R. Orci, who wrote the script, will executive-produce with Dawn Olmstead. Hungry: From Royal Pains executive producerMichael Rauch and restaurateur Joe Bastianich, the project gives an inside look at the opening of a New York City hot spot, inspired by Bastianich's life and his New York Times bestseller Restaurant Man.Shadow Counsel:­ The legal thriller follows Ethan, a former Army JAG attorney who is recruited by the FBI to work as as a shadow counsel, a secret lawyer who operates behind the scenes and completely off the record to circumvent existing roadblocks in classified cases. Ethan's life rapidly descends into chaos as he finds himself on the run. Castle's Barry Schindel, who wrote the script, will executive-produce will American Horror Story's David Semel.